Handout from Lodi Memorial Library (Developed by Barb Hauck-Mah for ESL Tech Literacy Grant; Modified by Jennifer Cohen Feb. 2015)

Transcription

1 1 Internet Basics Handout from Lodi Memorial Library (Developed by Barb Hauck-Mah for ESL Tech Literacy Grant; Modified by Jennifer Cohen Feb. 2015) What is the Internet? A global network of computers that communicate through phones and satellites to host services such as , chat, newsgroups and the World Wide Web. The Internet is a network filled with other networks that use many different protocols. What is the World Wide Web? The World Wide Web (the www that is at the beginning of web addresses) is a connection of interlinked electronic documents stored on computer servers and accessed via the Internet using the http (Hypertext transfer protocol). With a Web browser, a user views Web pages with text and multimedia, navigating quickly through pages using hyperlinks. What is a Web browser? A Web browser is a software program used to access the World Wide Web and display Web pages. Three popular browsers are described below. Internet Explorer is preinstalled on all Windows-based computers. Firefox offers a much smaller file and excellent spyware. Google Chrome is the newest and fastest of the browsers, especially good for displaying multimedia. Microsoft s Internet Explorer (Latest version: 11) Mozilla Firefox (Latest version: )

2 2 Google Chrome (Latest Version: ) To use a browser, you must accept an online agreement and pay a monthly fee to an Internet service provider that will connect you to the Internet. Currently, Internet service often comes in a bundle with telephone and cable service. What is an Internet service provider (ISP)? ISPs connect computer users to their network through options including telephone dial-up, DSL, broadband wireless access, cable modem, and ethernet. ISP examples: AOL, MSN, Optimum Online,and Verizon. What equipment do I need for Internet access? A computer, an Internet service provider, installed Web browser software, and a communication device to access the network (router, modem, phone line, DSL, cable) What is a website? It s one or more Web pages that relate to a common theme, such as a person, business, organization, or a subject, such as sports. The first page is called the home page or the index, which indicates the content on the site. From the home page, you can click on hyperlinks to access other Web pages. Every website has a unique address or URL (uniform resource locator). How do I get to the World Wide Web? Look for your browser's icon on your computer s desktop or in the Start menu at the lower left hand corner of your screen. Click on the icon to open your browser of choice. How do I navigate on the Web? At the top of your browser's screen is a toolbar with buttons. This is the primary way to navigate back and forth between pages, as well as refreshing and stopping the loading

3 3 of pages. Each browser s toolbar will look different. Internet Explorer: Mozilla Firefox: Google Chrome: Back- Takes you back to the previous page used) Forward- Moves you to the next page (only works after Back button has been Stop- Stops the transfer of information from the network onto your computer. Is only visible until the webpage finishes downloading in which it turns into the refresh button. Refresh- Reloads the current page. Helpful to ensure that you have the most current content and if part of a page does not load. Home- Takes you to a specific Web page when you open your browser (can be a Web page of your choosing). At the Lodi Memorial Library, the Home page is the BCCLS website but, at home, you can make it your provider, your favorite shopping site, a weather site, etc. Search- Heads to Search page where you can use search engines to look for information. The address bar is where you type in a Web site s address.

4 4 Go button takes you to the Web address you typed in the address bar. It will only appear in the address bar once you ve begun typing a URL into it. File Menu icon exists in Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. This is where you will find options such as Print, History, Settings, and Find. Once your Web browser is open and running, you can visit any site you wish by clicking in the address bar and typing in the URL of the site you wish to visit (for example, you d type as the URL for the search engine Google). How do I bookmark a favorite website? In Internet Explorer: 1. While visiting a Web page, click on the Favorites tab towards the top of the page. In newer versions of IE, there won t be tabs on the top of the page. Instead, you ll need to click on the Favorites button to the top right of the screen (it s in the shape of a star), right between the Home and the Tools buttons. 2. In the dropdown menu, click on Add to Favorites, then click Okay. The Web page title will be added to your favorites. 3. The next time you want to visit this Web page, click on the Favorites tab again. Look for the Web page title and then click on it. The Web page will be opened on your screen. In Mozilla Firefox: 1. In Firefox, Favorites are called Bookmarks instead. To bookmark

5 5 a page, click on the grey star in the toolbar towards the upper right of your screen. 2. Click on the grey star to turn it blue. 3. The Web page has now been added to your Unsorted Bookmarks. Click on the icon to the right of the star and a dropdown menu will appear. Roll your mouse over the Unsorted Bookmarks option to open another dropdown menu, where your bookmarked Web page should appear. You ll need to click and drag the Web page into the regular Bookmarks menu. 4. The next time you want to visit this Web page, click on the Firefox tab again to get to the Bookmarks menu. Look for the Web page title and then click on it. The Web page will be opened on your screen. In Google Chrome: 1. Saved pages are called Bookmarks in Google Chrome as well. To bookmark a page, click on the white star in the right of the address bar. 2. The star should turn yellow and a pop-up box will appear asking you to name the bookmark. Click on Done. The Web page will then be added to your bookmarks.

6 6 3. The next time you want to visit this Web page, click on the File menu icon (the three horizontal lines to the right of the star) to get to the Bookmarks menu. Look for the Web page title and then click on it. The Web page will be opened on your screen. You can rename favorites and organize them into separate folders. What s a link? Web pages contain links which, when clicked, brings you to either a different portion of the site, a file to view, or a different site altogether. A link can be text or an image Text links are often noted by blue text or an underline. When your cursor changes to a pointing hand ( ), you are on a link. Look at the bottom left hand corner of your Web browser and you will see the URL (Web address) of the link. A text link will often change color if the cursor is placed over it. How do I view a Web page? Scroll down a Web page by using the vertical scroll bar on the screen s right side. If you need to see more on the left and.or right side of the screen, look for a horizontal scroll bar on the bottom of the screen. Long Web pages may have a return to top or top link or button. What type of website domain is it? Not all Web addresses (URLs) end in.com.com or.net for corporate websites (Examples: Walmart, Sears).edu for colleges/universities (Examples: Rutgers, NYU).gov for US government sites at federal, state, and local levels.org for nonprofit organizations (Examples: Libraries, 501k agencies) International sites may end with a country abbreviation (Examples:.uk for Great Britain,.ca for Canada) IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! vs.

7 7 Do all websites offer free access? No. Some websites (newspapers, databases, etc.) charge a subscription fee to gain access. You will need to enter a password to access these sites. Other sites require you to fill out a registration form to gain full but free access. What are some popular websites? General Web search- Directions- Tax information- Selling- Shopping- Encyclopedia: Travel- NJ Government: or Health information- How do I print a Web page? 1. If available, click on the link to a printerfriendly or printable version. 2. Open File menu on the toolbar towards the top of your browser. In newer versions of IE, there won t be tabs on the top of the page. Instead, you ll need to click on the Tools button to the top right of the screen (it s in the shape of a gear), to the right of the Favorites button, then choose the Print option from the dropdown menu. 3. Print Preview the page-- Web pages sometimes print in pieces or frames. 4. Print page as you would any other document. TIP If you re having trouble printing the page correctly, copy and paste the information you want to print into a Microsoft Word document. Save it there in case you want to come back to it later, then print it. How do I search the Web? To find information on the Internet, you can use search engines and directories.

8 8 The most popular search engine is Google. You can search by typing keywords or phrases in the search box. The search engine then searches the Web using a computer algorithm to decide what websites are most relevant to what you re searching for. Other search engines include and Directories, like Yahoo s health section ( are databases compiled by humans and arranged into categories like a card catalog. Directories emphasize quality and human editors evaluate sites. The Results screen will be a list of URLs or categories. Yahoo s health section now has a search engine option available as well as a directory. Why can t I find the information I want? Identifying the correct keywords to use, in the right combination and order, makes Web searching a trial and error process. Basic Search Tips Begin the search by entering a specific keyword or short phrase. Check the results for relevance and number of items found. Search engines may respond with revised spellings or suggest other keywords. The order in which keywords are typed can make a difference. If your keywords aren t working, browse some top 10 Web results for hints on other keywords to use. When using an online library catalog, try the search and then note subject and genre terms listed. Advanced Search Tips (Used for catalogs and databases) To search a phrase (such as rock and roll), enter it in quotes ( rock and roll ). Refine your results by specifying all of the words, exact words, document format, publication date, and more.

9 9 You can use Boolean terms AND, NOT, or OR to spell out the relationships between words in your keyword phrase. How can I tell if a website has reliable information? Just because a document, article, or blog appears online doesn t mean it contains accurate or current information. Guidelines to consider in evaluating a site-- Who is the author? Is there a way to contact the writer (a phone number, mailing address, or address)? Information presented anonymously should arouse suspicion. Who is the publisher? How current is the information? Are there references to other sources? Is the domain name for a commercial vs. non-profit site? Internet Safety Basics 1. Never disclose your full identity (i.e.: full name, address, etc.) to an unknown person on the Internet. This includes in , chat rooms, instant messages, and guest books. 2. Never assume that the other person is telling you the truth. 3. Guard your social security number, bank account number, and pin number with your life online- if this information falls into criminal hands, it could lead to identity theft. 4. Before dealing with an online merchant, check their reviews (using a site like or The retailer s Contact Us page should list address, phone, fax, and information.

10 10 5. Confirm you are on a SECURE SERVER before you give your credit card number or bank account number to an online merchant. Look for the closed padlock picture in your address bar when you visit a website. The part of the URL changes to 6. Username and password guidelines Write them down and keep them in a safe place. Avoid using easy to guess usernames (like your name). Passwords are case-sensitive and should include letters and numbers (those with letters and numbers are more secure). Most websites will offer a security question and answer as a back-up if you forget your password. Once you answer the security question, your password will be ed to you. Recommended websites for more information Learn the Net: Internet Owner s Manual: Internet Basics: Internet Beginner s Guide and Tutorial: Search Education Online: